Wednesday, December 4, 2013

It's time once again for one of my all time favorite food events of the year, this weekend's 18th Annual Fun Fair at the Myanmar Baptist Church in Queens. The fair is much later this year than in years past, so there's still time to get your fill of homemade Burmese food before 2014 rolls around... The event is usually held in the summer. Last year they moved it to October and this year it's happening this Saturday. Why is this event so exciting? Well, you don't often find Burmese food in the city and this is high quality home cooked yumminess. Before my first Fun Fair experience a few years ago I was completely unfamiliar with the wonder that is Burmese food. It's a geographic center for deliciousness. Myanmar is bordered by China on the northeast, Laos on the east, Thailand on the southeast, Bangladesh on the west, and India on the northwest. As you can imagine there are all sorts of interesting influences in Burmese cuisine.

Tips: Bring cash and your appetite. Food tickets are $1 each and different dishes have different ticket prices.

Here are some of my favorites from years past:

Light and refreshing spring rolls...

Pickled mustard greens. These are homemade by the church ladies. Homemade, people! Hello, delicious...

One of the most popular dishes at the fair by far is the fresh fried paratha bread. If you want to give it a try you'd best put your name on the list when you first arrive. You have to pay in advance and get a ticket to reserve your spot. Each bread is made to order so the wait is LONG.

The event has been growing in popularity with food lovers from all backgrounds and for the past couple of years they've outfitted the tables with illustrated signs in English with photos of the dishes. The parish community is warm and welcoming and did I mention that I love the food?